Chapter 3, Part 1: Orion

“I’m upset, Katrina,” Rion said.
“Yeah, I know,” Katrina said. “Those Dryad piss me off, too. We save their asses from mind-controlling brain slugs, and their idea of a reward is not killing us? Some gratitude.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Rion said, moving up in front of Katrina and facing her, causing her, Wearwolf, and Jaime to come to a stop. They were all covered from head to toe with the violet effluvia of the pendulum Terrasite Katrina had just slain. Katrina was the only one not completely covered, just on her biceps, thighs, midsection, and face, the only parts not covered by Wearwolf’s armor form when the Terrasite exploded. “Tradition allows you to have an escort during the final trial of the Rite of Initiation. You promised to take me with you, and then you went alone! What the Hell, Katrina? What the Hell?”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Katrina said a little sheepishly. She glanced away and scratched her head. “Look, first of all, I didn’t promise anything. All I said was if I had to take someone, it’d be you, and that I’d consider it. When I thought about it later, it just didn’t seem like a good idea. I’m capable of taking care of myself in a forest, probably better than you can, and the only reason you wanted to come with me was because of that stupid old wife’s tale.”
“It’s not just some old wife’s tale,” Rion protested pointedly. “When two people share in the Rite of Initiation, their fates become intrinsically sealed. Look at Roger and Becky!”
The scowl Katrina wore was more than enough to make Rion regret the analogy. She walked around him in a huff. He hopped in front of her again, walking backwards in step with her as the other two followed.
“Okay, bad choice of words,” Rion said. “But you have to admit it’s the perfect example. He just happened to run into her during his Rite, and now, just two years later, they’re married! How can you say it’s just an old wife’s tale?”
“Especially when you’re the superstitious one?” Jaime added.
“I am not superstitious,” Katrina protested. “Just as many couples have walked in together and came out no more romantically linked than before. Some even become bitter enemies. Including twins, might I ad, Rion and Jaime.”
“They’re the exceptions that prove the rule,” Rion explained.
“Exceptions disprove rules, right Jaime?” Katrina countered. Not waiting for her say anything, she continued, “Fate is fate. It’s not changed or even strengthened by completing the Rite of Initiation with someone else, no matter how much you love them. If they fall deeper in love during the final trial, its because they’re the kind of people who fall deeply in love in that kind of situation. Destiny is not some story written in a book eons ago by a man with a long, white beard that can be revised or rewritten later. Its all cause and effect. Their fates were intrinsically entwined long before they entered that forest.”
“Okay, so if you didn’t believe in it, what would you have had to lose from taking him with you?” Jaime inquired. “Besides your freedom?”
Katrina stopped and sighed. “Fine. So maybe I was a little afraid that taking Rion would ultimately keep me from becoming a Chimera Knight. It’s not exactly something you can study for in your spare time over the internet while taking care of a baby. But what I really didn’t want was for Rion to get hurt. You guys heard what happened, right?”
“You did only come back just last night,” Jaime replied. “But it spread around pretty fast, so we got the gist of it.”
“Something about a gang of bandits that tried to rape you or something,” Rion added.
“Uh, yeah,” Katrina said uncertainly. “That sounds about right.”
“That is very much an exaggeration,” Wearwolf said. “There was just the one man. And he most certainly did not try to rape you.”
“Anyway,” Katrina continued, “That was a very dangerous situation. Rion could’ve gotten hurt or killed. Wearwolf and I were lucky to have survived with just a few cuts and bruises.”
“I could’ve protected you,” Rion argued. “And I so would’ve taken care of that baby!”
“I couldn’t let you raise a child on your own!” Katrina insisted. “And that baby would need a… Why am I having this discussion? Look, Rion, the point is, I care about you too much to let you get hurt over me, and I’m not ready to share something that personal and profound with you. Maybe I will one day, but not today, and definitely not yesterday.”
“Fine,” Rion said with a sigh. “But don’t expect me to stop. I’ll find a chink in that armor of yours yet.”
“Pantheon, you remind me of me,” Katrina said in an exasperated tone. “Okay, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll escort you on your Rite, and I’ll prove you wrong by not falling madly in love with you.”
“That sounds like a wager to me,” Rion said with a smirk. He held out his hand. “I’ll take that action.”
“It’s on, then,” Katrina said, accepting the hand and shaking it. “When we come back from it, I’ll be no more in love with you than I am with Jaime.”
“Whoa, hey, if you’re going to go around tempting fate, leave me out of it,” Jaime said. “I’m going on that Rite too, you know.”
“You should’ve taken your time being born, then,” Katrina quipped. She attempted to let go of Rion’s hand, only to find them glued together. “Ugh, god dammit.”
“Ha! It’s an omen!” Rion declared, tightening his grip. “You’re stuck with me!”
“You wish,” Katrina said. “Now start pulling.”
* * *
Rion lay on his bed, his eyes open, his hand resting on the alarm clock. The ringing it made for less than a second had been stopped. He reached for the lamp and turned it on so he could see his dream journal. For a moment, he pondered what was reality and what was fiction. He had long since achieved the ability to dream lucidly, thanks to his diligent work in recording them into the journal. He could recall his dreams every bit as well as any real memory, but it still paid to write them down while they were still fresh in his mind.
The Dryad Sanctuary… The pendulum parasite queen… The mandrake… That all happened, right? Was it all a dream, or maybe a vision? No, it was real. A lucid dream was whatever he wanted, and he wanted more than what happened yesterday. So he dreamed it, also. He was more dashing and courageous the second time around. Defeated the pendulum all by himself, too. Katrina was quite appreciative, as well. Rion was almost embarrassed to write it down in his journal.
“Good dream?” Jaime asked from her bed across the loft.
“Pretty good,” Rion answered as he wrote. “But I think there’s room for improvement.”
“Rion, do you think two people who have the same dream can meet each other there?” Jaime asked.
“About as likely as twins reading each other’s minds,” Rion replied. A moment later, he said, “I heard that.”
Jaime stuck out her tongue at him playfully. She got up, straightened out her nightshirt, and sat at her nearby desk. After rummaging around a bit, she got out a pad and pencil and started drawing.
“You’re not using your computer?” Rion inquired.
“I wanted to get this down before I forgot about it,” Jaime said. She scrutinized the drawing for a moment before erasing part of it and redrawing. “I wish I was a little better at this…”
“What is it?” Rion asked. He got up and looked over her shoulder. “A spider?”
“A mechanical spider,” Jaime corrected. “It came to me in a dream. This is going to be my MultiPet partner.”
“So you’re actually going to try and build one?” Rion noted. “Where are you going to get the parts?”
“I dunno, the internet or something,” Jaime said. “I’ll figure something out.”
“I doubt you’ll be able to finish it before our Rite,” Rion said.
“I’ll figure something out,” Jaime repeated.
“Best of luck to ya,” Rion said.
Rion put his journal away and started down the rigging into the living room. It was about time their mother called them down to do chores, anyway. He hadn’t intended to be stealthy, but the sound of hushed voices urged him to make as little noise as possible. His parent’s bedroom door was open a crack, and they were still inside it. A little odd for them at this hour, as their mother always woke them up well before dawn to keep their ship-shaped house in ship-shape. He hung from the rigging like a monkey, straining to hear what they were talking about.
“So, this be it, then?” he heard his father say. “We be doin’ this fer sure?”
“Aye, I think it finally be time, Robert,” his mother, Jessica replied. She sounded quite resolute, but it took her a moment to say it.
“Do ye think, or do ye know?” Robert asked warily. There was silence for a moment, then he continued, “There must be no hesitation, Captain. If ye have any doubts…”
“Yar, I know, I know,” Jessica interrupted. “I jus’ wish there be more time, is all. ‘Tis been nearly sixteen years, and we ain’t gettin’ no younger. I can nay wait much longer, but…”
“Aye,” Robert agreed. “The wee ones, but they be wee no longer. They be adults soon, and will be on their own anyway before ye know it.”
“But they still be our children,” Jessica said sadly. “No matter how old they get they’ll still be my babies. I still want to be there for them. I want to see me grandchildren.”
“Raising them has made us soft, Captain,” Robert said. “If we go, we must abandon all sentiment and think like true pirates. If we stay, we must abandon the sea forever and give no thought to what happened before we came here.”
“I can never forget what happened before,” Jessica said firmly. “Not while he still lives. Not while they both still live. My soul and my shame remain there, but my heart remains here.”
Robert sighed, “Ultimately, the decision be yours to make, Captain. Whatever we decide, we may always wonder what would’ve been. There is still much time. I will await your orders.”
Rion scrambled up the rigging and Robert opened the door. He threw himself on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Mentally, he debated whether or not he should write down what he had heard so he could try to make sense of it later. Did he hear what he thought he heard? Was this really happening? Could this be a dream and he just didn’t realize it?
“Rion?” Jaime started, but Rion held up a hand to silence her. In the quiet, they could hear footsteps from down below. Jaime sat on his bed and whispered, “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Rion replied. He didn’t want to trouble her with what he just heard. He needed time to come to grips with it himself first. He was worried enough for the both of them. Telling Jaime could overwhelm the both of them, and he didn’t want to let on that he was eavesdropping.
Downstairs, Jessica and Robert stared up at the loft.
“They usually be down by now,” Jessica noted quietly.
“Should we call them down?” Robert asked.
“Nay,” Jessica answered. “Let’s let them sleep in a while. I’m feeling particularly soft and sentimental today.”